This Free Life
by LovingEdwardAlways
Summary: Fleeing from the consequences of her mother's erratic behavior, Bella chooses to spend her last year of high school with her recently widowed father and siblings in Forks. Basking in the stability, she's going to make friends and go to school dances, and finally be a normal teenager. And it's all going perfectly. Until she steps into Mr. Banner's biology class. Canon-kinda.
1. Chapter 1

A/N

Soooo. Here I am! I've had this plot bunny floating around in my brain literally for years, but just never had the guts to write it. It's been a long time since I've seriously sat down to write something, so please excuse any mistakes that are made, especially formatting ones. FF confuses me

General Info: (NONE of my other author's notes will be near this long, so if you hate them, you only have to suffer through this one.)

ANGST: I don't feel like this is going to be super angsty. I'd rate it 2-3 points higher than the original Twilight. It's not going to be one of those instant love fics, but it's also not super dark and twisty. I'm also a firm believer in HEA's, so :)

CANON (ish): So, the characters will be fairly canon, but I'm going to exacerbate a lot of their qualities to give them a bit more life. The general storyline is true to the general framework of the original (You'll see what I mean) up until what I think will be about Chapter 5 (don't quote me on that) and then we'll diverge pretty far with sprinklings of canon bits interspersed.

LEMONS: I don't know. Probably. But they'll have to fit the story for me to feel like writing them with any amount of depth, and while I think they will, I can't be sure. I've flying by the seat of my pants with a lot of this fic. I can tell you that this story will be a lot more (imo) realistic on that front, even if it's not gratuitous.

UPDATES: Will be very regular for the next 6 weeks. At least once a week. After that, I start back at school, and I can only guarantee twice a month, but will continue to shoot for once a week.

STORY: Chapter length will vary, but this is definitely the shortest one I just wanted to get something up. :) It will not be told exclusively from Bella or Edward's point of view, but a random combination of both, depending on who I feel the events impact the most. You will never see the same event happen from both POVs in two different chapters, nor will you see POV switches in the middle of chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. If I did, I wouldn't be driving a 12 year old car with peeling tint.

Aaaaand I think that's it. Let me know if you have any questions. On with the show.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

BPOV

"I really don't think this is a good idea, Bella," Renee grips my arm tightly, pulling me to a dead stop in the middle of the busy airport traffic. The crowd parts around us as people frantically try to find their gates while my mother pleads with me to abandon mine.

I feel my heart start to accelerate as panic seeps into my bones. I've been steadfast in my decision, but in this moment, if she asks me to, I know I'll stay. I say a silent prayer that for once in her life, my mother will put my well-being before her own.

"We've talked about this, Mom." I keep my voice low and patient, like I'm talking to a small child rather than the woman who's supposed to be in charge of me. "Dad is so lost now that Sue is gone. And with the new baby….everything is so different for them and poor EJ is only three... " the air rushes out of my lungs and I feel like I've been sucker punched as I picture wide brown eyes streaming with tears and the broken-hearted expression of a little boy fidgeting in a too big suit as he watches his momma being lowered into the ground. "They need me."

 _And I need them. Please. Please, let me go._

Immediately, I can tell this was not the right thing to say. Renee's eyebrows rise as her mouth puckers and her arms cross.

"It is absolutely not your job to raise his kids, Isabella. You should be making decisions based on what is best for you. You're the child, not him," I resist the urge to scoff at her hypocrisy when she continues in a lower, muttered tone, "Don't know why the man keeps having children he can't raise."

A burning mixture of anger and resentment courses through me as I open my mouth to defend my dad, only to snap it shut before any words come out. I know her well enough to realize that an argument is exactly what she's looking for. She knows I won't leave if I think she's upset with me and she's banking on my temper. So, instead, I take a deep breath and choose my words carefully.

"This was my idea, not Dad's. I wa-," I cut myself off because implying that I want to get away from her will only make her cry and there's no way I'm getting sucked into staying here when I'm so close to finally being free. "It's important for me to be with them right now."

"And what about me," Renee sniffs. "I'm your mother, you kn-"

I feel a rush of victory as the announcement that my flight is boarding interrupts what I'm sure was about to be a very thorough guilt trip. This is it. There's no more time for manipulation and I'm grateful because my inner voice is sounding more wobbly by the second.

Renee seems to realize this too and her fingers clutch my arm more forcefully. I feel a flash of hysteria at the thought of leaving her here to fend for herself. Who will remind her to pay the electric bill, or go to the grocery store, or-

No. No, I won't do this. I am not her mother. I deserve to have this one last year of childhood to myself. To be free of cleaning up her messes and catching all of the responsibilities she throws away. I've earned this and I tell myself that over and over as I watch her eyes fill with tears, a mixture of defeat, sadness, and anger swimming in their blue depths.

"Bella, please. You hate Forks, honey."

 _No, Renee. **You** hate Forks. _

"I have to go now, Mom. I'll call you when I get ho-" I stop short again and try again. "When I get to Charlie's." I peck her cheek, maneuver myself out of her death grip, and make my way towards my gate. I feel a nervous, keyed up energy flowing through my veins as I take my seat on the plane, like at any moment Renee is going to bust in and demand I go with her. The feeling doesn't dissipate until we're flying 35,000 feet above all the emotional baggage I've left behind.

* * *

"There's my girl!" a voice I know as my father's booms impossibly loud across the expanse of William R. Fairchild International Airport and a huge grin breaks out across my face as I whip around toward the direction of the noise.

I see him standing in his standard off-duty gear: a plaid flannel, holey jeans, and a pair of Doc Marten's that are as old as I am. He's holding a snow globe with a picture of downtown Port Angeles inside it in one hand and a bright blue sweatshirt with the words "Welcome to Port A" printed in an obnoxious yellow color in the other. He looks so happy to see me that I think I might cry.

And when he grabs me in a bear hug and says, "I missed you, Bellybean," I do.

My entire life with Renee has felt like one giant free fall that will never end, but here in this moment, I feel like my feet are finally on solid ground.

"I missed you too, Dad." I say as a pull back and we take a long look at each other. The funeral was two months ago and he looks much healthier than he did then. His beard has been trimmed and his eyes have lost the glassy look they've had since Sue's diagnosis. The color has returned to his face, and though he's still a bit thin, he looks… alive again. I'm so relieved that I cry even harder, and Dad's face turns from mildly amused to genuinely concerned.

"Whoa there, sweet pea. You doing okay?" He hands me the sweatshirt so I can dry off my face and a feel an immense sense of joy at being able to answer this question honestly for the first time in years.

"Yeah, Dad, I'm fine, honestly. Just happy to see you and E-" My head whips around before I turn back with an accusing glare. "Where is EJ? And Addie?"

He fidgets a bit before he answers. "They're with Billy and Jake, down at the reservation. EJ is… having a hard time, Bells, and I wanted to fill you in before you saw him. Everyone is doing all that they can, but… he's just... " Dad heaves a big sigh and rubs his face before continuing. "He's just mad. He's mad that his mom's gone and I can't really blame him."

I don't really know what to say to that, so I slip my arm through his and move us both toward the baggage claim as I process his words.

I was the first person Sue told when she found out she was pregnant with EJ a little over four years ago and I can recall with perfect clarity all of the squealing and crying and laughing we did over the phone. She had wanted a baby for so long and even though I felt a flash of jealousy at the kind of family this lucky baby was going to be born into, I was overjoyed at the idea of a newborn to snuggle and hold and love on.

Edward James Swan was born on January 5, 2013 at 4:45 AM and my life was suddenly very different than it had been before. It took a lot of fighting on my end, but Renee finally agreed to let me fly down a few days before Sue's due date and stay until EJ had arrived. I will never forget walking into the delivery room and seeing his face, smelling his new-baby smell, watching his tiny hand wrap around my fingers… He owned my heart from that moment on and I seemed to own his, too. And if he's hurting, I'm hurting, too.

"We'll handle it, Dad." I smile reassuringly and squeeze his arm. He gives me a thin smile in return as we make our way into the parking lot and start the drive to La Push.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This is a pretty Jake-centric chapter. He plays an important, **completely unromantic,** role in this fic. You're gonna love him.

I don't own Twilight. Just so ya know.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

I met Jacob Black on Third Beach when I was seven and he was six, but even then, no one ever would have believed he was younger than me. He was a raggedy looking kid with hair as long mine and tattered cut offs that kept falling off his bony hips, exposing Spider Man underwear. With scratches and bruises all over his torso from playing rough in a way that only little boys can, he began methodically burying shells in the sand while singing the theme song from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at the loudest volume that had ever been achieved by man.

I knew that if Renee were with me, she would drag me to another corner of the shore while whispering under her breath about finding more "appropriate company" So, naturally, I walked right up, plopped down next to him, and began singing, too.

We've been best friends ever since, which I think worked out well for everyone. I had someone to talk to, really talk to, about everything. A friend who knew about all the hurt I was hiding and called me twice a week, no matter where I was in the world, to remind me that I wasn't alone.

As a result of our close friendship, Dad met Billy, Jacob's father, and they bonded over fishing, baseball, and loads of other manly hobbies that bored me to tears. Through Billy, Dad grew into the tight knit community on the reservation, giving him things to do and people to do them with while I was away, helping to soothe the clawing loneliness I knew he was feeling.

From that summer on, all of my trips to Forks included the Blacks. If Dad was called into the station, he'd drop me off at Billy's and Jake and I would hike through the forest surrounding the reservation. When it was Jake's turn to choose our game, we would pretend we were great explorers wandering into newly discovered lands in search of bears and mountain lions. When it was my turn, we would find a solid tree, climb up it, and play house. I would cook 'dinner' out of crunched up leaves and sticks. Jake would try desperately to catch squirrels while I would scold him for his lack of table manners before Billy called us in for the night.

On nights that Dad was home, Billy and Jake would drive into Forks to watch whatever game happened to be playing on our flat screen while I read in the corner, or made my famous lasagna while a constant stream of gruff shouts, both victorious and disgruntled, acted as a happy background noise.

I feel myself tearing up again as Third Beach comes into view. Dad barks out a laugh and hands me a napkin from the glove compartment.

"You're really starting to freak me out, kid. I'm no good with all...that." He makes a vague sweeping gesture in my direction. He shifts in his seat and his eyes dart around uncomfortably, like he's contemplating jumping out of his cruiser to get away from all of the emotion floating around in the air. The look on his face dries up my eyes, replacing tears with a nasty fit of the giggles that get worse when Dad mutters something about estrogen under his breath.

The drive is taking an exceptionally long time because nothing slows down traffic like a police car. I cringe a little at the thought of being driven to school every morning in the cruiser, and immediately feel bad.

 _Renee couldn't be bothered to walk you to the bus stop when you started school. And now you're going to complain because your father is too attentive to force you to stand around and wait at one? Stupid, Bella._

"We're here!" He yells in a loud, relieved voice, halfway out of the car before he's even fully brought it to a stop, in what I assume is in attempt to get away from me before something else happens to bring on the waterworks.

The sight of the familiar red house makes me smile. I breathe in the smell of the ocean as I step out of the car, letting the intense sense of peace I feel here seep through my bones, leaving me warm.

"Bells!" Jacob busts through the front door, running full speed toward me. I barely have time to register what's happening before he's grabbed me up in his arms, swinging me around, and singing "The House That Built Me" directly into my ear.

"Oh my god, how is it possible that you've gotten louder!?" I question through my laughs. Jake places me back on the ground, only to pick me up once more when I start to tumble over from all the spinning.

"You know, Billy asked me the exact same question this morning. Can't imagine why." His grin is full of mirth, his eyes bright. It's been just shy of two years since I've seen Jake. The funeral was the first time I had been back since my Sophomore year and Jake had been visiting his sister in Colorado when Sue passed and couldn't get back in time to be there. I'm shocked at how different he looks.

To begin with, he is HUGE. He's always been taller than I am, but considering I stopped growing once I hit 5'2, it's not hard to be. Taking stock of how high off the ground I am, I guess that he's got to be well over six foot now, a marked difference from the last time I saw him, when the top of my head hit his chin. It's not just how tall he's gotten, either. He's _built._ His arms are as thick as my thighs, his chest broad and defined, and while I can't see his stomach, it feels hard against mine.

All of his hair is completely gone, leaving in it's wake a trendy cropped style that suits him and looks completely out of place at the same time.

He's, in a word, gorgeous. I am, in a word, unaffected.

I can appreciate that he's beautiful, but it does nothing for me. Kissing him would be like kissing my first cousin. I shudder at the thought.

I also realize that Jake and I are no longer children and the way my legs are wrapped around his waist is making Charlie _incredibly_ uncomfortable. I catch Jake's eye and nod in Charlie's direction. The look on his face scares Jake shitless. I plop ass down on the concrete driveway when lets go of my legs.

"Thanks, you asshole." My tone is acerbic as I stand up and wipe the dirt off the back of my jeans. "A little warning would have been nice."

"Your dad owns a gun, Bella. A gun. Like, the kind you shoot people with." His eyes are wide and so serious that I can't help but laugh, which makes Jake laugh, and suddenly we're 10 years old again, sneaking into my bedroom to watch Family Guy and hoping we don't get caught. I feel a lump rise in my throat as I launch my arms around his waist and squeeze.

"Missed you." I whisper, throat tight.

He clutches me tight.

"You have no idea, Bells."

Charlie clears his throat.

Jake immediately takes three giant steps back.

I roll my eyes.

 _Men._

* * *

"Where are my other babies?" Charlie walks into the house and we follow. I'd gotten so caught up in seeing Jake that I'd almost forgotten EJ and Addie were here, too.

"Addie is right here, playing with her favorite uncle," Billy coos from the living room. "Isn't that right, sweet thing? EJ is in Jake's room napping, but I think I heard him get up and wander into the bathroom just a minute ago." I hear the squeak of his wheelchair as he rolls himself into the hallway to greet us.

"Isabella Swan, as I live and breathe. Look at you, girl. Beautiful as ever." Billy's face is a deep russet mass of scars from the accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down and stole his wife almost seven years ago, but his smile is so bright that you hardly notice. He's like Jake in that way; a force of sunshine in a world of darkness.

I blush and kiss his marred cheek. "Thanks, Billy. I'm so happy to see you." And I am, but I'm more focused on the wide awake 5 month old in his lap. She's staring at me with deep brown eyes that look exactly like Sue's. I start to cry for the hundredth time today. When I pull her to my chest and she gurgles happy sounds, I know it won't be the last.

"Hi, sweet baby. Hi." I rub my nose to hers, kissing her puckered mouth and both her cheeks while breathing in her baby smell. I cringe away at the giant waft of poo I unintentionally snort up my nose. "Somebody needs a new diaper." I look around for her diaper bag when Dad scoops her up and out of my arms.

"I'll take care of that," He says in a soft voice. "You go find EJ." But there's no need because as he speaks, tiny footsteps plop down the hallway and a sleepy EJ comes into view. He stops short and stares at me from across the room, which is so different than the running hug I usually get that I squirm uncomfortably.

"Hey, EJ." My voice breaks with nerves, which makes me feel silly because he's three and half, wearing no pants and clutching a ratty bear in one hand and his favorite blanket in the other. Hardly the picture of intimidation.

He stares at me for another minute and no one dares to move or even breathe too loudly. Then out of nowhere, he launches himself into my arms, wrapping his legs around my ribs and squeezing tight while he buries his face in my shoulder.

"Iz-bella. Miss you." He whispers, his voice croaky with sleep.

"Oh, I missed you, too, brother bear. So much!" I try to hide the emotion in my voice, but it doesn't work very well. "Did you have a good nap?" He nods. "What did you dream about?" This is EJ's favorite conversation. He likes to make up stories that are often wild and always silly. Once, he told me very nonchalantly that he dreamed he was playing basketball, and when I asked who with, he shrugged and said "Just Yoda." I smile at the memory.

But this time, he stays silent, lifting one shoulder up then down before snuggling deeper into my neck. I look to Dad with questions in my eyes, but he shakes his head and mouths "Later." I nod.

"Well!" Billy booms, breaking the tension. "Why don't we show Isabella her surprise?" Dad's face changes from chagrined to genuine excitement as he stands up with a freshly-diapered Addie.

"That sounds like a fantastic idea, Billy. C'mon, Bells." I look to Jacob, who's grinning just as wide as our dads and follow all three of them outside to the driveway.

Charlie lifts his eyebrows. "Well?"

I look around, confused. "Well, what? What's the surprise?"

He grins even bigger and points to Billy's old red pickup. "This."

My eyebrows shoot up. "This? This!? You're giving me the truck!?" I jump up and down, causing EJ to make a disgruntled noise against my shoulder. "Sorry, bubs." I smack a kiss to his curly brown locks as he settles back in.

"Yup!" Billy beams. "Jake fixed it all up for you. It's a clunker and a bit of an eyesore, but it runs great and it's the closest thing to a tank you're gonna find, which, given the driver, is probably a good thing." He winks.

I ignore his good-natured jab and squeal which makes EJ squirm out of my arms. I watch him wander over to the garden and slowly, methodically begin pulling out blades of grass, one by one. The sight of my normally rambunctious brother doing something so subdued feels wrong and I have to look away. Billy, Dad, and Jake are all still looking at me, so I shake off the uncomfortable feeling coursing through my veins and drop a kiss to each of their foreheads.

"You guys are the best! I can't believe you did this for me!" I gasp "But wait, what about Jacob? What is he gonna drive?"

Jake scoffs. "Like I want this piece of junk! I've got a Rabbit in the back that I'm restoring. It's gonna be a beaut, just you wait."

I clap my hands. "Perfect! Can I drive it now?"

"Lemme go get the keys and we'll take it out." Jake starts back inside before Charlie cuts in.

"Hold on. I do have one condition." Dad's face is unusually serious and I immediately become very apprehensive. Conditions aren't really his style. Having been very self-disciplined from a young age, I've never needed very many limitations and despite what his profession may suggest, he isn't a huge stickler for rules.

"Okay.."

Dad's mustache twitches and I can tell he's pulling my leg. "I'll need you to drop off EJ and Addie at daycare on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I work the early shift those days, so I'll have to leave before it opens."

I huff out a relieved breath. The daycare is directly across the street from the high school. Even factoring in the time it'll take to walk them in, it's an additional ten minutes to my morning routine, max.

"Sure thing, Dad. That's no problem." Charlie nods and holds out a hand for EJ to grasp onto as everyone else heads back inside and Jake and I jump in the front seat of the cab. In the back, I notice that the car seats that used to be in Sue's car are now in mine.

"You ready?" Jake asks, and even though I know he's only talking about the drive, his words seem symbolic of this new and better life I get to have.

"Yeah," I grin. "I"m ready."

* * *

A/N: I'm very impressed with how quickly this fic is coming to me. I hope it keeps up.  
Some of you may have noticed that I mentioned Sue's car and may be wondering why Bella isn't just driving it. That will be explained next chapter, which is also where we'll meet Edward. ;) You may also have noticed the lack of talk about Sue. That's coming, too.

Someone asked if Seth and Leah didn't exist as Sue and Harry's kids. The answer is yes, they exist, but no they aren't Sue's. Harry has a relatively small place in this story, but he's there. Lots will be revealed.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This chapter didn't come as easily as the one before, which was very frustrating. I tried reading about Bella's first day in Twilight for inspiration, but she was so unhappy about coming to Forks (and to be honest, real bitchy to everyone she encountered) that it didn't ring true to the story I'm trying to tell. But I finally wrestled it into a bit of submission. It's not perfect, but I could have written it 10000 times and not been completely happy with it.

Also, it wasn't something I was thinking about this in the beginning, but I'm writing this story in the present, not 2005 when Twilight originally came out. I know that isn't canon and I hope that doesn't upset you guys, but in an effort to make the characters more real, I want Bella to seem more like a teenager in her interests and experiences. There are things that will make her mentally and emotionally more mature than her peers, but in some ways, I'd really like for her to act her age. And in 2005, I was only 9. I have no idea what a 17 year old would have been doing then. I honestly don't even think you'll notice, but I do plan on making some song/movie/pop culture references, so I wanted to give you a heads up. Hopefully you guys get where I'm coming from.

Here comes Edward. :)

I don't own Twilight.

 **Chapter 3**

When I pull up to Forks High the next day, I've got a head full of doubts and a belly full of nerves. I've been up since 5:00 this morning, cursing myself for allowing Renee to manipulate me into waiting until the very last day of summer break to come to Forks. I feel completely unprepared and I can't get out of my truck. Paralyzed with irrational fear, I berate myself.

 _How many damn times have you been the new kid, Bella? This is no different. Stop your bitchin' and get movin'._

But it _is_ different, no matter how hard I try to convince myself otherwise. To begin with, I've never gone into a school with the intention of making friends; there was never any point. I knew I wouldn't be around long enough for any sort of relationship to grow so it seemed like wasted effort. Instead, I threw myself into the course material and focused hard on maintaining a 4.0 GPA, taking every advanced and concurrent class that was offered. I skipped things like dances and football games for lack of anyone to go with and spent my lunches in the library, listening to music and reading.

What if I _couldn't_ make friends? What if all these years of social isolation had turned into complete social ineptitude?

I shudder at the thought.

Then there was the complete lack of anonymity at Forks High, whose entire student body was a whopping total of 354 (now 355). I'd never attended a school where my _class_ size was less than 500, which meant that I wasn't even a blip on most people's radars. It was near impossible to meet that many people if you were trying to, and I most definitely was _not_ trying to.

And, of course, everyone here knew my dad. He had been Police Chief Swan for the past seven years, and an officer for eleven years before that, making him revered in a way that was borderline unhealthy and definitely creepy. Every student in that school knew the sordid story of Charlie Swan's wayward first wife, who stole away his daughter in the middle of the night to live a life of sin and impropriety. It was the biggest scandal to hit this town in last thirty years.

Would their opinion of me already be formed based on the erratic behavior of the woman who broke my father's heart?

I felt my stomach roll. This line of thinking was definitely not helping and I was out of time, regardless. I had gotten here a full fifteen minutes early, but all my panicking had eaten up that cushion and I was now officially late.

 _What an excellent first impression to make,_ I thought as I hefted my bag across the console and onto my shoulders.

It was a warm day for Forks, but I found my white eyelet lace tank was still a bit thin. In fact, my entire wardrobe was ill suited for this climate. Renee had always prefered the heat, though I found it stifling. I made a mental note to go shopping soon as I pushed the heavy glass doors to the front office open.

I was immediately inundated with Spartan paraphernalia and brightly colored posters that said things like "Make effort. Not excuses." and "It's okay to not know, but it's not okay to not try." There were sign up sheets for every club Forks High had to offer and flyers advertising the tryout dates and times for various athletic teams. It was like something straight after an after school special.

I _loved_ it.

Every school I had attended before this one had metal detectors and/or security guards at every door and I'm pretty sure they avoided hanging things in the hallways for fear that someone would figure out how to turn an inspirational poster into a weapon.

The red-headed woman sitting behind the desk snapped to attention at the sound of the door opening and smiled pleasantly at me from beneath her thin-rimmed glasses. Her name plate read "Shelly Cope."

"Hello, dear!" Her accent is obviously southern, which piques my interest. Most of the people who inhabit Forks have been here since their birth. It's not the sort of place you leave, or the sort of place you move to. "I'd recognize those pretty eyes anywhere. Your Chief Swan's girl, aren't you? Isabella?" She starts shuffling through a stack of precariously balanced papers on the corner of her desk as she speaks.

I blush at her compliment and smile. "Yes, that's me. It's just Bella, th-"

"AHA!" She yells triumphantly as she waves a packet of papers in the air. "I just knew I had it here somewhere." She looks back up and notices that I'm still standing awkwardly by the doors. "C'mon over here, 'just Bella,'" she teases. "I don't bite!"

I shuffle across the floor as she looks at me with a sort of matronly fondness in her eyes. "I'm sorry I'm late," I stammer nervously. "I was just-"

She scoffs loudly, cutting me off again. "Nonsense, sweetpea. You're just fine." She pulls out a green sheet of paper and lays it beside a purple one. "Now, this is your map of the school. It's pretty small, but the numbering of the classrooms is completely random, looks like a drunken psychopath did it, so they can be tricky to find if you don't know what you're looking for. This is your schedule. You have AP English with Mrs. Hanna for fourth period, how nice! You'll love her, she's as sweet as pie." She whips out another piece of paper, this one yellow. "Have all your teachers sign this sheet and bring it back to me by the end of the day, along with this" -a blue paper is placed in front of me- "which is your application for a parking permit. It usually costs $15, but you don't need to worry about that. Your locker number is 345 and they're not locked, so you won't need a combination. We went ahead and put all your books in it except the one you'll need for first period, which I've got right here. Any questions?"

I blink.

Twice.

"No, I don't think s-"

"Perfect! If you need anything, you're more than welcome to come ask me, but you'll find we have a very friendly student body. I think you're really gonna like it here." She sighs a dreamy sigh and folds her hands under her chin, a pleased look in her eye.

"Thank you, Mrs. Cope. I'll be sure to get these back to you." My voice is a bit dazed as I drift to the doors that lead to the hallway, but I start when I realize my introduction to the school is already over and I now have to go to class. My hand freezes on the door handle and I'm wondering how hard it will be to convince Mrs. Cope that I've suddenly come down with swine flu when her voice rings out again.

"Go on now, sweets. You'll be just fine. You're a nice girl, I can tell. Everyone's gonna love you." She nods encouragingly at me, and I flush, partly because she's talking to me like it's my first day of Kindergarten and partly because it's working. I feel some of the tension leave my body at her words. I nod in acknowledgement before stepping into the hallway in search of Ms. Goff's Spanish III class in Room 25.

I find it tucked in a nook between rooms 12 and 32 (Mrs. Cope was spot on about the drunken psychopath thing) and am chagrined to realize that the teacher is already mid-lecture. The entire class whips around when I walk in, so naturally, I trip over absolutely nothing. My hand lands with a loud _thwap_ as I catch myself on the corner of a table at the last possible second, the stack of rainbow papers Mrs. Cope gave me flying everywhere.

A blush heats my face and I cringe preemptively at the sniggers I'm sure are going to start at any moment.

Only, they don't.

There's a few errant chuckles, but they don't hold the scathing quality I expect them to. They're soft, sympathetic, and when I look up, most everyone is smiling at me, their expressions ranging from gentle amusement to genuine concern.

"Oh my gosh, are you alright? Here, let me grab those for you!" I swing my head to the right, toward the boy sitting at the table I caught myself on a few moments ago. When he pulls himself back up, holding my rainbow papers, I'm met with round blue eyes that are rimmed in frames just a bit too large for his face. He's got shaggy brown hair spilling across his forehead and an easy smile.

"Thank you. That was very kind." I cringe.

 _What the fuck, Bella? You sound like a daycare teacher praising a toddler for sharing his toys._

"I mean, that was like, you know, cool of you. Or whatever." I clear my throat. "Thanks, dude."

 _Worse. So much worse._

But this kid was obviously a saint in a former lifetime because he moves right past my word vomit and hands me my papers with that same smile before looking back down again.

Ms. Goff clears her throat loudly. "If it's perfectly alright with you, Isabella, I'd like to start class again." She says in a haughty tone. Lipstick is smeared under her nose and she's wearing so much powder that the excess has fallen onto the collar of her white shirt. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her stereotypical 'stern teacher' pose; arms crossed over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently as she huffs about.

I heave a sigh. My time in various public schools across America has given me an uncanny ability to read people and I can tell right off the bat that Ms. Goff and I are _not_ going to get along.

I make my way towards her desk, when she yanks the yellow form out of my hand so hard I'm surprised it doesn't rip. She hands it back to me with an exaggerated flourish and tells me I can sit next to Ben, while pointing next to the boy I spoke when I walked in.

I feel my body relax when I realize she's not going to make me do any ridiculous introductions and make my way to Ben's table.

"Just a moment, Isabella." _Damn it, damn it, damn it. So freaking close._ "Why don't you tell the class a bit more about yourself. We already know you enjoy tardiness, so you can skip that."

I blush and look down. "W-well, I'm from-"

"In Spanish please, Isabella."

And now I'm just pissed off. She's a bully on a power trip and I want to knock that smug smirk right off her face. Instead, I straighten up and face my peers.

"Soy originaria de aquí, pero más recientemente vivía en Dallas. Me gusta la lectura, la música y la mala televisión de realidad. Yo he tomado seis diferentes clases de español, así que estoy bastante fluido en este punto. Y voy por Bella, no Isabella."

Every other student looks at me with a blank face, which is exactly what I expected. This is a third level course, but they were going over colors and foods when I walked in. Forks High's spanish program is obviously in need of a little work if they can't remember that rojo is red after three years.

"Will that be enough?" I ask the heinous she-witch with a smirk.

She nods stiffly and turns back to the board as I _finally_ make my way to my seat.

The boy I now know as Ben nods appreciatively. "Nice." He mutters under his breath as he holds out his first for me to bump.

I smile triumphantly. I've only been here ten minutes and I've already got a friend. Sort-of.

The lecture is boring and terrible, so I doodle aimlessly in my journal until the bell rings.

"So, Bella, where are you headed to next?" He plucks my schedule out of my hands before I can answer, nodding his head as he reads. "You're smart." He comments.

I blush and hum noncommittally because I am, but it seems douchey to say so. Plus, I'm not sure if being smart is uncool and while I'd never dumb myself down to make friends, I don't have to flaunt my love for poetry and calculus, either.

We make our way into the hall and I try to ignore everyone staring at me. They're not being rude, there's no fevered whispering or side-long glances, but all the attention still makes me uncomfortable.

"We've got AP English, Calculus, and Gym together. Mrs. Hanna is a saint, you'll love her, but Coach Clapp is a total dick. Feign PMS as often as you can. Girl shit makes him squeamish and he'll let you off just so you'll stop talking about it." He stops with me at my locker as I pull out my AP Government book.

I arch my eyebrow. "Used the cramps excuse often, have you?"

" _Obviously_ not." He makes a show of gesturing to his 'manly' physique and I laugh out loud. "My girlfriend Angie, however, as well as every other girl in this school, does. It's blatant sexism if you ask me."

"Oh geeze." I'm rolling my eyes at his theatrics when a tall brunette walks up and smacks a kiss on his cheek.

"Hey, Angie. This is Bella Swan. We have Ms. Goff's together."

Angie winces and sticks out her hand. "How nice that you both get to enjoy the sun that shines out of that woman's every orifice first thing in the morning. I'm _Angela,_ " she says pointedly, glaring at Ben. He seems unaffected. "It's nice to meet you." She eyes my book and smiles. "Cool, I'm in that class, too. I'll walk with you."

"And I've got woodshop on the opposite end of the building." Ben nods his head in the direction he needs to go. "See you ladies later." He presses a kiss to Angie- I mean _Angela's,_ forehead and walks off.

"Okay, so I didn't want to say anything while Ben was here, but you are totally nippin,' girl!" Angela pulls a black peacoat from her bag and pushes it into my hands while I gape in horror.

"No way!" I screech. I look down and sure enough, it's like fucking Mt Everest: Tit Edition down there. I scramble into her jacket and button it all the way up to my neck. Angela busts out laughing.

"Good grief, you don't have to go Amish!" Her fingers undo the top three buttons so the coat hangs open in a much more fashionable style. "It's pretty long on you. You're tiny." She observes with shrug. "But yeah, totally don't worry about the nip thing. No one was close enough to you to tell besides me and Ben, but Ben would never look, partly because he's a gentlemen and partly because he knows I'd cut his dick off if I ever found out." As she speaks, she loops her arm through mine and guides me down the hallway. She starts pointing out a few people whose names I know I won't remember as we walk and tells me I'll meet them at lunch.

Government, thankfully, passes without incident. Mr. Turner, a portly, balding old man who looks a lot like Santa, signs my slip with a jolly smile and tells me to sit next to Mike, whom I recognize as the blonde, spiky haired boy Angela pointed out to me on the walk here.

"Hi!" He chirps excitedly. "I'm Mike. It's nice to meet you, Isabella."

He's shaking my hand so vigorously that I think he might actually pull my arm out of socket, so I pull away gently and smile. "It's just Bella. It's nice to meet you, too."

Mr. Turner begins class, cutting off whatever Mike was about to say. This material is new to me, so I take careful notes.

When the bell rings for third period (yearbook with Mrs. Cherry), Mike hops up, grabs my books and chats animatedly all to the next class we share.

He's a nice guy, with friendly blue eyes and a fairly bland personality. He reminds me a bit of a golden retriever.

Fourth period English passes without incident, and Mrs. Hanna (who is an angel) lets me chose my seat. I plop down next to Ben and we partner together for this semester's big Shakespeare project. I'm pretty impressed with the pace of Fork's High. The standard-class-procedures-and-school-policies portion of every class is glossed over quickly before getting into the meat of the subject, making this a much more interesting first day than I anticipated.

Ben and I meet Angela on the way to the cafeteria, where we sit with Mike, Tyler, (a burly, rambunctious guy with cropped hair and bushy eyebrows) Eric, (short, dorky, and completely hilarious) Jessica, and Lauren. Jessica is sweet and bubbly, but she's the kind of girl who would turn her back on you in second, so I make note not to let my guard down around her. Lauren is a total bitch and has zero patience for all the attention I'm getting. She sulks most of the period.

The metal doors on the opposite end of the cafeteria bang open, drawing my attention, and in walk the most gorgeous group of people I have ever seen.

It's like a real-life Abercrombie poster, only without the smell.

There's a _huge_ curly haired guy leading the group, with cute dimples and muscles that make Jake look like a twelve year old. The statuesque blonde by his side is by far the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, but the air of arrogance floating around her dims her attractiveness quite a bit.

Behind them, there's a lanky boy who appears to be in pain, with sandy colored hair and severe features that add to the 'tortured soul' routine he's got going on. The whisp of a girl that's whispering in his ear looks elfin in both features and demeanor and while the short cropped cut of her hair might look boyish on other women, myself included, she rocks it with grace.

Lastly, is the most drop-dead gorgeous human being that has ever graced God's green earth.

He's more built than emo-guy and not as bulky as steroid-dude, making him just the right balance of muscular manliness. He's tall and he's got perfectly coiffed, bronze-hued hair that I can tell isn't something that's artificially manufactured. And that face… lord. He's so pretty he could almost be a woman, but there's nothing feminine about him.

"My God." I blurt and feel my face heat. Luckily, Angela is the only one that hears me and she gives me a knowing smirk.

"Right? They're all pretty, but he's… otherworldly." She licks her lips salaciously and I giggle.

"Who are they?"

"The Cullens. Well, the Cullens and the Hales." Her voice drops a bit lower and she glances around to make sure no one's listening. "They're all the adopted children of Dr. Cullen. The blonde girl is Rosalie Hale and her brother, Jasper, is the one who looks constipated. They're his wife's niece and nephew. The adopted Cullens are Emmett, the big guy who's with Rosalie, Alice who's with Jasper, and Edward the-"

"Fuck hot one?" I word-vomit again. Angela bursts out laughing and I swear I see the perfect boy-Edward's- cheek rise in a gentle smirk, too. "Interesting... " I try to recover. They all have bland looks of disinterest on their faces as they push at the food on their completely full trays, never eating anything.

Then, as if to prove me wrong, Edward picks up an apple and takes a large, healthy bite.

 _How odd._

The bell rings loudly, breaking me out of my lunch room stalking, and I am chagrined to realize that fifth period Biology is yet another class I have with chatty Mike. He walks me to class, his voice an incessant hum in the background, and I change my previous assessment of golden retriever to chihuahua.

Mr. Banner's classroom is the same general set up as every science class. There are ten long black tables that seat two, all with a sink, a tub full of various beakers, a gas hook-up, and a scale. As my eyes scan the room looking for an empty seat, my heart skips when I land on Edward Cullen, who happens to be at the only solo table in the room.

My heart speeds up and my hands start to sweat at the thought of having to make conversation with the real-live Adonis. I use my hair like a shield and silently thank God that Mr. Banner doesn't fuss about with introductions as I make my way toward the back of the room.

And because my life's one big freaking joke, I trip over the leg of the table and land with a thud into my stool.

My face blooms red as I open my bag and pull out a spiral, placing it and a pen on the table, making the process last as long as humanly possible in hopes that the color will fade from my cheeks before I have to look up.

 _He's just a boy, Bella._

I turn in my seat and open my mouth to speak, but the words die in my throat when I look at him.

He is _furious._

His eyebrows are drawn together over his sharp, coal-black eyes that glare at me with such malice I flinch. He's sitting as far away from me as the table will allow, his body rigid, his fists holding onto the edge of the table so tight I swear it's going to crack.

I spin back around and let my hair fall between us so that he won't see the tears that rush to my eyes, brought on partially by embarrassment and partially by anger. I sniff as quietly as I can and tune in to Mr. Banner, taking notes in shaking handwriting.

And Edward sits completely still the entire lecture. I could swear he isn't even breathing.

When the bell rings, I hop up immediately and gather my things, but stop short when an icy white hand latches tight onto my wrist.

"Come with me." He breathes and suddenly I'm full of him and I can't think about all the reasons I should say no through the fog clouding my brain at the sound of his voice and the smell of his breath.

So, I nod.

He pulls me along the rapidly filling hallways quickly and quietly and now that his perfect face isn't right in front of me, I realize that his grip is painfully tight and that he's taken us to a deserted part of the school, where is no one around but the two of us.

Icy tendrils of fear wrap around my heart and for a moment, I'm so scared I can't think or breathe or move.

And then suddenly, I'm _pissed as hell._

I speed up until I'm ahead of him, and whip around to ask him who in the actual fuck he thinks he is when the look on his face stops me dead.

He looks exactly like EJ did at Sue's funeral. Lost, afraid, hopeless, broken, defeated….

I know I should be demanding answers, but when I open my mouth to speak, I can only blurt, "Are you alright?"

His face changes again, to a mixture of chagrin and surprise as he whips his head around and takes note of our location. His eyes widen in complete and utter horror when they focus on his large hand wrapped around my wrist and he drops it immediately.

"Oh my god." He whispers. "Oh my… I… I'm so sorry, Bella. I'm so-" His voice chokes off on a sob as he turns and bolts the other direction, disappearing from sight in a matter of moments.

A/N: Dun dun duuuuuuuun. Sorry, I know some of you got a review reply saying this would be up on Friday, and I just missed it. But it's a pretty long chapter, so that's happy. :) I anticipate the next chapter going up mid week.


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